Method and device for producing a 3-D substrate coated with a laminate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10792853-B2
Application number	US-201815921167-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2018
Priority date	Sep 18, 2015
Publication date	Oct 6, 2020
Grant date	Oct 6, 2020

Abstract

A forming tool is used, which has a tool trough arranged in a stationary manner and a pressure bell, which can be lowered onto and lifted away from the tool trough. An arrangement is created in which a single- or multi-layer, initially flat, flexible laminate separates the trough interior from the pressure-bell interior in a pressure tight manner. A table, on which the 3-D substrate to be coated is located, assumes a lowered position within the trough interior; there is a considerable, free intermediate space (between the laminate and the 3-D substrate. A radiant-heater assembly is inserted into said intermediate space. The radiant-heater assembly has a carrier, on the top side of which radiant heaters that can be activated are attached and on the bottom side of which radiant heaters that can be activated are attached.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for producing a 3D-substrate that is coated with a laminate, the method comprising the steps:
using a forming tool including
a lower stationary tool half which includes a tool trough that envelops a tool trough interior space in which a lowerable table is arranged,
an upper tool half which includes a pressure bell that envelops a pressure bell interior space, wherein the pressure bell is arrangeable in a closed position adjacent to the tool trough and in a raised release position that is remote from the tool trough,
wherein the following steps are performed in the raised release position of the pressure bell:
introducing a 3D-substrate that is to be coated into the forming tool and fixing the 3D-substrate to the lowerable table in the tool trough, lowering the lowerable table to a lower dead center, and
arranging a one layer or multi-layer initially flat laminate that has a visible side and an opposite contact side or a flexible transfer foil that is provided with a blank made from the laminate at a circumferential edge of the pressure bell or adjacent thereto,
providing an arrangement in the closed position of the pressure bell,
wherein the laminate or the transfer foil separates the tool trough interior space and the pressure bell interior space pressure tight from each other, and
an initial vacuum of less than or equal to 30 kPa is initially set in the tool trough interior space, and
an initial vacuum of less than or equal to 30 kPa is set in the pressure bell interior space and subsequently a pressure medium pressure of 2-18 bar is set in the pressure bell interior space by introducing a fluid pressure medium or compressed air, and
the laminate is heated while the tool trough interior space and the pressure bell interior space are provided with a pressure medium pressure of less than or equal to 30 kPa,
wherein the tool trough includes at least one retraction cavity for at least one movable heat radiator arrangement which includes at least one upward radiating heat radiator, and
wherein the at least one movable heat radiator arrangement is moved in the closed position of the pressure bell and after setting the pressure medium pressure at less than or equal to 30 kPa within the tool trough interior space from the at least one retraction cavity into an interior space between the laminate and the 3D substrate to be coated and the laminate is heated in a controlled manner by the at least one upward radiating heat radiator to form a heated laminate, and
the heated laminate is applied over a glue layer to the 3D-substrate and coated thereto,
setting ambient pressure in the pressure bell interior space and in the tool trough interior space, separating the lower stationary tool half and the upper tool half from each other, lifting the pressure bell and removing the 3D-substrate that is coated with the laminate from the tool trough interior space and, optionally, processing the laminate,
wherein the glue layer is provided with an activatable glue arranged at a contact side of the laminate and activated by activating the at least one upward radiating heat radiator also the glue arranged at the laminate material contact side is activated, and
the at least one movable heat radiator arrangement is additionally provided with activatable downward radiating heat radiators, and
after introducing the at least one movable heat radiator arrangement into the intermediary space between the laminate and the 3D-substrate to be coated
a surface of the 3D-substrate to be coated is heated in a controlled manner by activating the activatable downward radiating heat radiators and after completing heat treating the at least one movable heat radiator arrangement is moved back into the at least one retraction cavity,
wherein the lowerable table is raised into an upper dead center after completing heat treating and after returning the at least one movable heat radiator arrangement into the at least one retraction cavity,
wherein the 3D-substrate penetrates the laminate plane in the upper dead center of the lowerable table and moves the heated laminate along in a tent shape while the initial vacuum of less than or equal to 30 kPa is maintained in the pressure bell interior space and in the tool trough interior space wherein the pressure bell interior space is pressure sealed from the tool trough interior space by the laminate while the lowerable table is being raised from the lower dead center to the upper dead center, and
wherein the fluid pressure medium or compressed air is introduced into the pressure bell interior space after the lowerable table has reached the upper dead center in order to adjust the pressure medium pressure of 2-18 bar in the pressure bell interior space while maintaining the vacuum of less than or equal to 30 kPa in the tool trough interior space so that the laminate is pressed and coated onto the substrate above the at least one movable heat radiator arrangement.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one upward radiating heat radiator and the activatable downward radiating heat radiators are arranged horizontally or substantially horizontally and the at least one retraction cavity is arranged at the tool trough and oriented horizontally or substantially horizontally into the intermediary space between the laminate material and the 3D-substrate to the coated.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure medium pressure of 2-18 bar is maintained at least for 2 seconds before the pressure medium pressure in the pressure bell interior space is lowered to the ambient pressure.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the 3D-substrate is made from a thermoplastic synthetic material that is processable through injection molding wherein the thermoplastic synthetic material is selected from a group that consists of: Polyamide (PA), Acrylnitril-Butadien-Styrol-Terpolymer (ABS), Acrylester-Butadien-Styrol-Terpolymer (ASA), Polymethylenoxide (POM), Polyvinylchloride (PVC) and Polyarylensulfon (PSU).

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the laminate is configured in one layer or in multiple layers and includes at least one plastic foil that is made from a thermoplastic synthetic material that is selected from the group consisting of: Polycarbonate or Copolycarbonate based on Diphenoles, Poly- or Copolyacrylate, Poly- or Copolymethacrylate Polymers, Copolymere with Styrol, or Acrylnitril-Butadien-Styrol-Polymers, thermoplastic Polyurethanes, Polyolefines, Poly- or Copolycondensates of the Terephthalacid, Polyester, or (Alkyl)terephthalate or (Alkyl)naphthenate, and mixtures and blends of the above materials.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the plastic foil has a layer thickness of 20 to 1000 μm.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the plastic foil has a structured surface on the visible side that is oriented away from the 3D-substrate.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a thermally activatable glue or a radiation curing glue compound or a thermally activatable and radiation curing glue compound is used as the activatable glue.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein a thermally activatable glue compound is used which has an activation temperature in a range of 75-130° C.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the blank made from the laminate is tailored to the 3D-substrate and placed on the transfer foil; only the transfer foil that is provided with the laminate blank is clamped between the pressure bell and tool trough so that the pressure bell interior space is separated from the tool trough interior space pressure tight; and the pressure fluid impacts the transfer foil under a pressure medium pressure

Assignees

• Niebling Curt
• Leonhard Kurz Stiftung & Co Kg

Inventors

• Drexler Christian

Classifications

• B29L2009/005

  coated · CPC title

• B29C51/38

  Opening, closing or clamping means · CPC title

• B29C2791/006

  Using vacuum · CPC title

• B29C51/10

  Forming by pressure difference, e.g. vacuum · CPC title

• B29K2105/0097

  Glues or adhesives, e.g. hot melts or thermofusible adhesives · CPC title